Coming Home
by StarWarsRocksMySocks
Summary: A Force Sensitive child has been detected on Shili. Lacking knowledge of her own culture from being away from her home planet for so long, Ahsoka is sent to locate the child. If only she knew the struggles that lay ahead - violence, revelations and romance. Ahsoka/Kaeden? (Possibly). T for violence. Ahsoka novel characters included.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Star Wars, Star Wars Rebels or the Clone Wars, nor any of its characters.**

 **...**

Ahsoka sat in the cockpit, waiting next to her new ship, provided by the Rebellion, The Flashlight.

Her team of rebels had just contacted her that they were on the way, and geared up and ready for the latest assignment.

Ahsoka lent against the shining metal of her ship, deep in thought. She wasn't feeling all that optimistic about this mission, but was still determined to get it done.

She would be returning to her home planet - she had sensed that there was a force sensitive child living there.

Her job - equipped with her team of rebels - was to warn and advise the family of the child. Ahsoka had no plans to take the child away from them, but she would teach the child and family how to hide their gift.

She didn't have much information to work with - she knew the rough whereabouts of the village, but she didn't know if the family had already noticed that their child was gifted and she didn't actually know if the child had a family.

Still deep in thought, Ahsoka noticed her team approaching.

She had a group of twenty rebels, with the addition of Kaeden and Miara.

Levi, the squad leader, approached her. "All ready to go, Fulcrum."

"I can see that," Ahsoka arched an eyebrow, nodded her head to the large amounts of gear and bags they were carrying, the sisters included.

Miara laughed, "Well it's kind of like a vacation! I mean, we are going to your home planet. I see you haven't packed much." She motioned to Ahsoka's small backpack.

Ahsoka huffed unenthusiastically, "I was taken away when I was three. I can't be excited for something I barely know."

The younger girl rolled her eyes, "Jeez, Ahsoka. You're extremely morbid today, did you only get four hours of sleep instead of your usual five? Just because you're not excited doesn't mean I can't be!"

Kaeden shook her head at her younger sister. She really didn't respect boundaries. In the three years Kaeden had known Ahsoka, she had rarely spoken about her past life at all - even her years before she became a Jedi. Miara should consider this when talking to Ahsoka.

Ahsoka put on a stern tone, "Miara, as of today, and the rest of this week, I'm here as your commander and leader, not your friend." Ahsoka paused a minute as she saw frustration flare up in the younger girl. A smile curved on Ahsoka's lips a moment later, "I'm messing with you." She slapped Miara's shoulder gently, as she started to smile to.

"You're such an idiot." She slapped her back.

Kaeden smiled at the exchange between the two.

"But that statement goes for the rest of you, team." She put on a mock authoritative tone.

The team laughed and rolled their eyes.

Ahsoka then straightened up, "But seriously, team. I have no idea what this mission is going to be like. I'm hoping that the information our intelligence teams gave us isn't too accurate. Hopefully, all we have to do is find the child and advise the family - but we know this could turn out a different way. I'm hoping it runs smoothly and there isn't any conflict with the Empire. Intelligence teams advised me to take a team. As long as we get the family first, before the Empire, it should run smoothly. Any questions?" Ahsoka finished.

Jutt raised his voice, "What is probability that we'll engage in combat?"

Levi chucked, "Damn, Jutt. You ask this every time!"

Jutt glared at him as Ahsoka started to speak, "I'm not too sure. By now the Empire has probably picked up the child's Force signature. If they haven't, they will soon. The intelligence teams said the Empire usually sends out a team to eliminate the child within three to five days. There is a small chance they could come early and we'd engage in combat, and we'd exterminate the threat as well as all communications they have with the Empire, to cover our tracks. Is that specific enough for you, Jutt?"

"Affirmative." He nodded.

"Anyone else?" Said Ahsoka.

She was greeted by silence. "Okay. Let's board the ship."

Ahsoka settled into the pilot seat with Kaeden by her side. Miara stood between them, providing a wedge between the two.

Kaeden, uncomfortable with her sister pushing into her side as she tried to get settled, nudged her with her elbow, "Miara, don't you wanna, you know, give us some space. How do you expect Ahsoka to drive with you breathing down her neck." She jabbed, giving her a harder nudge to get her point across.

Miara shoved back, "Why? You don't like me standing between the two of you?" She wiggled her dark brows at her older sibling.

Kaeden clenched her jaw at Miara's teasing. "No." She snapped, "Don't you wanna hang with Levi? I know you two have a thing going on there." She tried to change the conversation.

"Perhaps. Something a little similar to what you and Ahsoka have going on." The younger girl smirked, fully aware of how to get on Kaeden's nerves.

Ahsoka seemed to not notice the conversation, too busy adjusting dials and buttons ready for take off. It was either that or she just chose not to say anything.

"That's enough, Miara. Ahsoka needs to concentrate. Come back after we're in hyperspace." She pushed her sister towards the exit.

She signed in relief when she left.

Ahsoka continued to flick switches and adjust the dials, "Miara and Levi, huh?"

Kaeden flushed red, deeply hoping that Ahsoka hadn't been listening to that whole conversation, "Apparently so."

Ahsoka smiled gently, "They'd make a good couple. He's got a striking sense of humour."

"Yeah..." Kaeden mumbled, "I'm sorry for what she said earlier. I know you don't like talking about your past much." She said, sincerely sorry for her sisters behaviour. Ahsoka had been guarded when they had first met, and even now that they'd known each other for almost three years, Ahsoka was still selective about the information she shared about her past.

Ahsoka signed, flicking one final switch as the ship started to lift off the ground. "I know... you don't need to apologise. I can understand why people want to know and think that they're entitled to that information. I'd just rather leave a lot of it in the past where I belongs. I still don't feel quite ready to share a lot of things I've seen and been through."

Kaeden placed a hand on the Togruta's arm, "You don't need to justify yourself. Besides, who doesn't like a little mystery in someone?" She grinned widely and beamed when Ahsoka smiled back.

"I appreciate that. Ready to jump to hyperspace?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." She said enthusiastically.

Ahsoka placed her hand on the lever and pulled.

...

Miara stepped out of the ship and skipped down the walkway. Following closely was Ahsoka and Kaeden, accompanied by six rebels: Jutt, Levi, Yumi, Plun, Kerp and Kamini.

Ahsoka had advised that only a small group should approach the village, as a large group could be intimidating and make the villagers anxious. The rest of the team hung back in the ship, alert and ready should they be needed in an emergency.

"I never expected Shili to look like this." Kaeden mused, brushing her hands through the tall turu grass. "I thought it'd be greener. Kind of like home."

Yumi pulled out a long red and white blade of the grass and examined it, "Me too. I feel like I'm in a huge field of crops. Expect it's just grass. Really tall grass." She discarded it on the floor.

Ahsoka shook her head at the pair in amusement, "Did you not do your assigned research?"

Jutt butted in, "I did, sir. This is turu grass. It's brilliant for the species to blend in, especially while hunting. It is also useful in the rare case of an akul attack." He said, his voice deep, barely taking a breath in the whole sentence.

Ahsoka slapped his shoulder, "At least someone around here is educated!" She laughed. "I do at least hope you've done the research on my people. It's the most important part."

Everyone nodded and confirmed that they had.

They continued to walk, thankful that the volume of grass was beginning to lessen. It made it easier to walk and carry their gear. All weapons and necessities were packed into their bags, as they did not want to startle any of the villagers. Maintaining peace and normality was key in these kind of situations, especially when dealing with such a species that relies heavily on community and teamwork. If one person became frightened or anxious, it would be a tough situation to deal with.

"Like all of you would have read in the briefing documents, my people are like a pack of wolves. As a predatory species, they stick together through a lot. A lot of my people feel cornered when they're alone and not with the pack, so try to avoid that situation. As long as we keep everything as normal as possible, everything should be fine." Ahsoka said, pushing the grass to the side to make a pathway.

The path was getting a lot more clearer and Ahsoka could sense they were nearing a village.

The team trudged up the hill. Once at the peak, the village came into a view. It was fairly large, with many huts and wooden stands. "Looks like this is our destination." Levi spoke, his posture straight, his broad shoulders pushed back.

"I guess so." Ahsoka began to lead the group down the hill. She was sure to keep her pace slow, not to alarm any fellow Togrutan's who may be close by. A few meters in front of the group, Kaeden walked side by side with Ahsoka.

"You seem a little nervous," Kaeden began, "You've not been here in a long time."

Ahsoka shrugged, her eyes still on the village ahead, which was coming closer with every step they took, "I don't know. It's not exactly special to me. It's just where I was born. I guess I don't get a lot of interaction with my people, it's possible they may single me out a bit. I'm not familiar with the culture. The only thing I've done is go through my right of passage. I don't know a whole lot about my people."

Kaeden thought about what Ahsoka had just said, "I can understand that. You did spend practically your whole life living away from your home planet. But I don't see why they'd single you out."

"My people have a sense of togetherness, mainly with family and loved ones. From what I've been told by old masters in the Temple, a lot of newcomers must show their worth before being excepted into the pack. It can be a lot harder for certain Togruta's - especially the runts. They can get it tough. While I did say they have a massive sense of togetherness, we are a hunting and predatory species. Their ways are quite similar to that of wolves." She said. It felt strange telling this kind of information, since she had never really lived with the tribes and hadn't experienced their ways of living. Not that she could remember, anyway.

"That sounds pretty harsh. I bet being singled out is quite a horrible feeling for them." Kaeden mused. "But I'm sure you wouldn't have to worry. It's probably us," she motioned the rest of the rebels, who were mostly all human, "that we need to worry about." She continued.

Ahsoka hummed for a moment, "I'm not too sure. I don't know the ways of my people, like I said, I'm not familiar with the culture. To add to that, according to the Master who found me on Shilli, I was actually the runt of my tribe. I'm a lot smaller than a lot of Togruta my age."

Kaeden scoffed, "I find that hard to believe! I've never seen anyone fight like you do. You've probably got more muscle than half of these people here!"

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, "Height, Kaeden. I lack the height part. You'll see how a lot of people are a lot bigger than I am."

They arrived just outside of the bustling village.

From what they could see, there was a market selling a variety of things, from fur blankets, to fruits and a whole variety of different meats.

A large Togruta, equipped with armour covering his chest, shins and forearms approached the group. "State your business." He had a very deep voice.

Kaeden noticed Ahsoka visibly stand up straighter, making herself look slightly taller as she looked up to the towering Togruta, "We wish to speak with the Tribe leader. It's a matter of urgency." She said calmly.

"What Tribe do you come from, little one?"

Ahsoka's lip twitched at being called little one, not only did it irritate her but it also reminded her of her early days as a Jedi Padawan. "I originate from Kiros. I'm not familiar with Shili."

The large man studied her for a moment, his facial markings knitted together as he thought, "I will take you to the tribe leader. But..." he paused, eying up the group of rebels, "you may only take three with you. The rest must wait here, or in the market." He commanded.

Ahsoka, still stood up straight in an effort to be taller, turned on her heel, "Levi, Kaeden, Jutt. You're with me."

They nodded and stepped closer to the much smaller Togruta.

"Follow me." His voice was so deep that Ahsoka could practically feel it vibrating in her montrals.

...

 **So, chapter one. Sorry if it's boring, it's just setting up the scene and the story. It will get plenty more interesting, I can assure you that.**

 **I decided to post this story into Star Wars Rebels instead of the Ahsoka Book category. While it does contain a lot of characters from the novel, the story takes place a few years after the book and so it is set after the book but before the events of Rebels.**

 **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

The group followed the older Togruta through the bustling market. Once they were through, they began walking through lines up huts, which they assumed were the natives houses.

The ground was dusty and earthy. It wasn't such a pleasant change to the waist high grass they had been trudging through previously.

"If Selda was with us, I bet he'd be really useful." Kaeden said quietly to Ahsoka.

Ahsoka nodded in agreement, "I know. I'm hoping he can come down tomorrow. He had some business to sort out with the intelligence teams. I asked for him to come and he said he'd try. After all, he knows a lot more about the culture and other factors." She informed.

The armoured Togruta leading them stayed silent for the majority of their journey.

After they had been walking for another ten minutes through the village, a large hut came into view. It was near triple the size of the rest of the huts and had spears with animal skins hanging off them displayed around the circumference of the hut. Kaeden thought it looked rather intimidating and began to grow slightly nervous, especially when her eyes gazed upon their beady eyes and pointed teeth.

"You two," the man pointed at Levi and Jutt, "wait here. The other two can come with me."

Jutt was about to protest but Levi placed a hand on his shoulder, intervening, "that's fine, Sir."

Ahsoka and Kaeden nodded as they began to follow him again, leaving a slight trail of flowing dust behind them as they took steps.

The large man pushed aside the animal skin curtains that acted as a door, and the girls stepped inside.

The large hut was dimly lit, with small torches on either side of the the tent illuminating the room in a dull orange glow.

They waited for the armoured Togruta to step in front of them.

Ahsoka could see that there was a Togruta wearing a fur coat that looked to made of Akul fur sat in a chair looking expectantly at them. He looked to be around the age of fifty, as he had a few wrinkles under his eyes and his skin was a light, pastel orange colour.

The chair looked to be extremely delicate, with carvings decorating the thick arms of the chair. Attached to the top were two long, curving tusks, also engraved with intricate patterns. Ahsoka assumed they were tribal patterns that meant something to the chief and his tribe.

When they were within ten feet of the man, the armoured Togruta stepped to the side.

"Chief, these two apparently have some urgent news to report." He gestured to them.

The chief studied them for a moment, his eyes lingering on the two, especially Ahsoka, for at least twenty seconds. "First of all, who are you both?"

Ahsoka stepped forward and spoke, "We work with the Rebellion. Please, refer to me as Fulcrum. Unfortunately due to circumstances and privacy for our operations in the rebellion, I cannot reveal my real name. This is Kaeden Larte, part of the intelligence team that provides the Rebellion with information."

He stared at the pair again for a moment, "How can I trust someone who won't give me their name?"

Ahsoka considered his question, biting the inside of her cheek. She hated being in these types of situations. "Unfortunately I'm just following orders. I am a well respected leader in the rebellion. Please, just hear us out. The information we are bringing to you may startle your tribe and there is a chance you are in danger."

The chief stroked his chin in thought. "Fine, tell us."

Ahsoka nodded to Kaeden, indicating her to speak.

Kaeden began to speak, "Our intelligence team has detected a force sensitive child here in your tribe. Because the Jedi Order no longer exists, we are worried that the Empire will come to eliminate the child, as well as the family and friends associated with the child. There is a large chance that they have already picked up the force signature of the child and will be coming in a few days. Our goal is not to take the child away. We want to advise the family and teach them how to mask the force signature of the child. However, we do not know when the Empire is coming. Should they arrive while we are here, we will fight the war and do our best to protect your tribe." She concluded, earning a smile from Ahsoka.

Kaeden enjoyed giving these speeches, but they were a lot more difficult when the truth had to be twisted. The intelligence teams hadn't actually detected a force sensitive child, Ahsoka had. It would also be difficult to refer Ahsoka as Fulcrum all of the time.

"Hm," the Chief bought a hand to his chin, deep in thought, "this is unsettling. Do you know who the child is?" He quizzed.

"No. We need to do some investigating. We just ask for your cooperation and trust. We cannot predict when the Empire will arrive, but we will do our best to defend this tribe should it result to combat. We have bought some of our best soldiers with us. Hopefully everything will run smoothly." Kaeden informed.

"Thank you, Kaeden. May I kindly ask Fulcrum for a quick word?"

"Of course. I will wait outside." She bowed quickly and left through the skin curtains, the armoured Togruta following her.

"Am I obliged to ask your motive to join the rebellion?" He asked, throwing Ahsoka off guard a little.

She was a bit puzzled about the chief's question. It was hard to think of a truthful answer, since she needed to keep her identity a secret for the time being. "It just sort of happened. A few years back there was a raid on Kiros, where I lived. All of the people were taken and held captive. We were saved by Jedi from the cruelness of the Separatists. Since the Republic fell, I wanted to join the Rebellion and help out with anything I can."

He studied her again, processing the information he had just been given. "How did you receive such a high status within the rebellion that you are not allowed to give your true name? Surely you know you can trust your people."

"I was part of Kiros's small army. I was a highly respected warrior and my training and intelligence was extremely useful to the rebellion." Ahsoka was glad that she'd practised all of this and made up coordinated information ready for any kind of conversation.

"Still... you are so young."

Ahsoka ground her teeth, which went unnoticed by the chief. "I was trained from a young age. I'm not the youngest in the rebellion, there are plenty of people younger than me who fight for our freedom. There are some as young as sixteen."

"Nobody as young as you has quite a status and importance in the rebellion, though?"

Ahsoka felt kind of backed into a corner. She understood if he had a mistrust in her, but she didn't like all of these inquisitive questions.

She decided to keep up with her authoritative and confident tone. "I am twenty standard years, chief. I have all the experience I need - I may be young, but I am a trusted leader in the rebellion and people but their lives on the line because they believe in me and my abilities."

"Okay. I apologise for all of the questions. I just wanted to make sure that my tribe will be kept in good hands. I shall sort you out some accommodation, if you would like to come back in a few hours. You are free to go for now. Please report back when you have found the child."

"Thank you. May I ask what I should refer you as, Chief?"

"Chief is fine." He stated. "I will tell you my name when you tell me yours."

Ahsoka bowed quickly and began to walk back outside the large hut.

Kaeden stood waiting expectantly for her, with Jutt and Levi chatting away. They began walking back to the Market without their precious armoured escort.

"What did he want to speak to you about?" Asked Kaeden, her arms swinging beside her as she walked next to Ahsoka.

"It was a little strange. He was just quizzing me about my association with the rebellion, and how I have such a high status when I'm so young. He seems a little distrustful, especially of me. He's probably just a little confused but he seems fine with what we're going to be doing here."

They arrived back at the market where they encountered Yamini, Plun, Kerp and Yumi.

They'd clearly been round the market. Yumi had bought an akul skin blanket, which was rolled up tightly under her arm.

Kerp and Plun were both stuffing their faces with cooked Thimiars on a skewer.

Kaeden out her hands on her hips, "We have plenty of good food back on the Flashlight, you know?"

"I know," Plun said through a mouthful of meat, "but it's so good. I don't even know what these little things are but they smelt so good, we decided to buy them."

Kerp nodded eagerly, agreeing with Plun. He took another large bite.

Ahsoka laughed at them, "You know those give you really bad gas right?"

The two looked at each other quickly but shrugged and carried on munching on the small rodents.

Ahsoka shook her head in amusement. "Come on, let's get back to the ship and make some real food. I'm going back to the chief's later, he's going to sort us out somewhere for us to stay for our time here."

They began their short walk back to the ship.

...

 **Yeah sorry for the boring chapter again. Like I said before, things will pick up soon.**

 **Please review! Thanks to everyone who has already!**


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Ahsoka and her team of rebels arrived back into the village. The chief had lent six huts out to the group of twenty-three. There would be four rebels staying in each hut, with Kaeden, Ahsoka and Miara sharing the last one.

They found their designated living spaces and began to unpack their things and get settled.

Miara dropped her bag down and settled on the thick, furry rug that she'd be sleeping on. "This is so soft."

Kaeden ignored her sister and began to unpack her essentials and a change of clothes. "Miara have you received any more information from your intelligence squad?"

She nodded and bought up a data pad, "They sent this to me about fifteen minutes ago. No news about the Empire yet, so it seems that they either haven't picked up the child's force signature yet or they just haven't sent a team out yet. We haven't been detected, so luckily that ran smoothly. They said it's likely that they won't send an army, but they can't be sure of that yet." She informed, flicking through the pages of aurebesh quickly, skimming the words to check if she'd missed anything.

"That's helpful," said Ahsoka, "It'll be fortunate for us if they only send a small team. We can eliminate them quickly and override the ship and communications a lot easier if they only dispatch a small group."

Miara continued, "It says here that with other cases of force sensitive children being discovered, the Empire usually send an inquisitor..." Miara trailed off, feeling slightly anxious at the thought of meeting one of those monsters again. It terrified her, the first time. She never wanted to relive it again.

Ahsoka raised a hand to her chin and thought deeply, "I'd say let's hope they don't, but if that's the likelihood, I will have to fight them. My people are excellent warriors when it comes to hunting, but fighting somebody who practises with the Force? They won't stand a chance. Miara, please inform the other rebels." Ahsoka asked.

Miara nodded and got up from the fur blanket, slipping the data pad into her pocket. "I'll give you two some alone time." She flashed a cheeky grin at them, which earned a scowl from her older sister.

Ahsoka walked towards the exit of their hut, "I'm going to tell the chief about the information Miara has just told us. I'm going to see if they have an army or some fighters, just in case we need some extra defence. Keep an eye out for any new information, please."

"Sure." The dark skinned girl replied.

"I'll be back soon."

When Ahsoka arrived back in the chief's tent, he was not alone. A Togruta girl, also suited in armour, stood beside him as they chatted. She looked to be a little older than Ahsoka, most likely mid or early twenties. Her face was hard and she was also quite large - tall with bulging muscles on her arms and legs.

"Ah," said the chief, "Fulcrum, there is somebody I'd like you to meet. This is Riyah. She is the leader of our tribes warriors. Should all of this result in combat, Riyah will help command the assault."

"It seems you've read my mind, chief. I have just received information from one of my intelligence advisors that whenever this has happened before, the Empire has sent out an inquisitor. Inquisitors are Force users and they use lightsabers as weapons. They are very dangerous and show no mercy, they will not stop until they have finished what they've been assigned. It's likely that they'd bring a small army of troops. Your army, if it came down to it, would be useful against the troops." She nodded in acknowledgment to Riyah.

Riyah spoke, and Ahsoka was surprised by how deep her voice was. It wasn't as deep as the first armoured Togruta, but it was a fairly deep voice for a girl. It suited her though, it would be a little strange if someone with her physique had a higher pitched voice. "I will fight the inquisitor myself."

Ahsoka bit the inside of her cheek. "With all due respect, I don't think that's a good idea. They are very quick and agile. I've come into contact with one before and defeated them. I think it would be better if I fought them - and lead the army."

Riyah seemed frustrated. Ahsoka could sense it though the force, and could see her visibly grinding her teeth.

"I am this tribe's greatest warrior. I am trusted and well respected. They will not sit kindly knowing that a stranger will be leading our army into battle." She said flatly. "You say you're a good warrior but how are we supposed to know when you haven't demonstrated anything to back up this information?"

Ahsoka noticed that the chief looked deep in thought.

"That's true, I haven't demonstrated anything, because I haven't had to. You need to put your trust in me and my team. This is my job - I do these things for a living." She added, trying to convince the two Togruta. She didn't want anyone putting themselves into danger, especially against an Inquisitor.

Riyah turned her nose up and glared at her thought slit eyes, "I doubt a runt could put up such a good fight and lead an army."

This time it was Ahsoka who began to feel frustrated and irritable. She took a slow breath, not wanting to show her negative emotions. "I think you'd be surprised. This _runt_ is a Rebellion commander - keep that in mind."

The chief rose to his feet suddenly and raised both of his hands, indicating for the girl's to stop. "Riyah, please don't treat our visitors without respect. Fulcrum and her team are here to help."

Riyah was about to protest but the chief intervened, "I have a proposal. We can settle this debate the traditional way, through combat."

"What?!" The girls exclaimed in unison.

These kinds of fights between warriors who wanted to gain a status usually resulted in death, which was the last thing Ahsoka wanted. They needed all the numbers they could get.

"Don't worry," he continued, "it won't be one of those trials. Instead of swords, you both use staffs. The winner will lead the army and battle the Inquisitor."

The girls made eye contact and nodded slowly. "I guess that's a fair way to settle it." Ahsoka said. Since it was combat through using staffs, Ahsoka felt confident. With her Jedi training, as well aid from the force, she would be able to beat Riyah, who did indeed look like a strong and reliable warrior. Ahsoka wouldn't defeat her straight away, though, she didn't want to make it look too obvious she was a lot better than your average warrior.

"Very good." The chief put his hands together. "The fight will happen tomorrow at noon. I will provide you with staffs now. Practise if you must."

A middle aged red skinned Togruta woman bought over two thick, wooden staffs. Like the chief's chair, they were carved with intricate engravings that Ahsoka assumed were something to do with Togruta culture.

"Thank you." They both said in unison. Riyah shot Ahsoka one last glance as Ahsoka turned on her heel.

She didn't need to practise, nor did she have the time. Ahsoka and Kaeden were beginning their investigation today.

Kaeden was already one step ahead of her and was waiting outside the giant hut. "How'd it go?" She said enthusiastically.

Ahsoka shrugged, "I'm fighting the tribe's greatest warrior tomorrow." She said flatly.

Kaeden looked shocked, "What happened to defending them and protecting them at all costs?"

Ahsoka chuckled, "It's nothing like that. The woman who leads the army doesn't like the idea of me leading them. We're settling the argument with a duel of sorts tomorrow. The winner commands and decides the battle strategy."

Kaeden shook her head in amusement. "If you say so." Then she lowered her voice, "Can you sense the child?"

Ahsoka nodded, her voice quiet too, "I can. I don't think they're too far away."

Ahsoka led the way with Kaeden at her side.

While they walked silently, Kaeden admired the planets strange culture. Visiting a new planet was always strange for her, since she had never left Raada until she had met Ahsoka. She hadn't really known anything about other planets, and had no idea about the wide variety of cultures and species.

She had always thought there was only orange skinned Togruta, like Ahsoka and Selda. These people of Shili had mostly orange skin, but there were many with a darker red tone and some that were even a light grey.

She liked Ahsoka's skin. It was a light orange, and it reminded Kaeden of the sun setting over the fields she used to work in. It made her think of fire, a stark reminder of Ahsoka's fierce and fiery determination to do good and make a difference.

Yeah, she liked orange.

They arrived at a small hut, just on the outskirts of the village. The huts seemed a lot smaller out here and more unkempt.

"You think this is the one?" Kaeden questioned, picking up a small toy on the ground. She examined it before dropping it back on the dusty ground. Kaeden answered her own question, "There's a few toys out here, so we know these two have children."

Ahsoka nodded and they stood outside the tiny hut. Since there was no door, Ahsoka felt like just walking in would be intrusive, so she offered a small hello.

Almost immediately a petite, old woman stepped out. She smiled sweetly at them. "Can I help you two?" She said in a crackly, yet friendly voice.

"Hi. We were wondering if you had any children with you? We may have some surprising news for you." Ahsoka said kindly, choosing her words carefully so not to startle the fragile lady.

"Well, I'm sure you're talking about my grandkids. I still class my daughter as my little one." She gave a wrinkly smile, which the girls returned.

The older lady led them in, her dull lekku swinging slightly as she held back the fur curtains for them.

It was small inside, too, but looked very cozy. There was easily enough room to fit a small family, but it still looked tight.

There were fur rugs all over the floor, which Ahsoka assumed were where the family slept.

Inside was a middle aged female Togruta with dark orange skin. In her arms was a tiny baby, wrapped in a bundle of blankets. Next to the woman was a small boy, around the age of five. He was playing cheerfully with some rainbow coloured balls, rolling them around and kicking them with his bare feet.

As soon as Ahsoka saw him, she knew. His Force presence was vibrant and would probably be easily noticeable for the Empire - _that_ was a problem; it would only give the Empire more determination to eliminate him - _or worse._

Ahsoka smiled at them and settled down opposite the woman, crossing her legs underneath her and sitting up straight. Kaeden sat beside her, mimicking her position, but she soon became uncomfortable.

"Hi. Do you mind if I could have a word with you privately?" Ahsoka spoke directly to the woman.

The older woman, who Ahsoka assumed was the younger woman's mother, took the tiny Togruta out of her arms and lead the boy out by his hand.

The woman seemed scared and worried.

"Hi there. Please don't be so alarmed," Ahsoka smiled warmly at her in an effort to ease her, "What's your name?"

"Hashee." She replied timidly.

"Well, Hashee, we're with the rebellion. Our intelligence teams have noticed something special about your son. He is Force sensitive. Now, we don't want the Empire to take him away so-"

"Please don't take my son away from me!" She pleaded, her emotions becoming wild. Her eyes were pleading, her love for her son evident in her glistening orbs.

"No, don't worry," Ahsoka shushed. "We don't plan to do that. We would never do that. We're here to teach you about his special abilities and learn how to help him mask his Force signature. That way he can live in secret and they won't be able to pick up his location, or even his existence. You'll all be safe that way." Ahsoka said reassuringly, trying her best to keep the woman calm while delivering her information efficiently.

It seemed to take her a while to process Ahsoka's words. "Is this the kind of special power that the Jedi would have been interested in?"

Ahsoka nodded her head, "Yes. If the Jedi Order was still around they would have taken an interest in your son." She paused, "He is gifted. I can help you, if you let me. Our best interest is to keep your son, your family and your tribe safe from the Empire."

Hashee nodded her head, "Okay."

Ahsoka smiled, "Very good. So first of all, I'm going to tell you what to do and what to say, should you ever encounter the Empire..."

...

Ahsoka and Kaeden returned back to their designated huts after a long day. Ahsoka and Kaeden had spent hours informing Hashee on what to say in many different situations should she ever come into contact with the Empire. Ahsoka had instructed her to tell her family and close friends the information she had learned, and pass it on.

Ahsoka flopped down on her fur bed, taking a deep breath. It had been a long day, and tomorrow would be an even longer day. After her duel with Riyah, she planned on returning to Hashee's hut and teaching the force sensitive child, who's name was Zan, how to mask his Force signature. Ahsoka would be able to use the force to aid this, since the child did not have enough experience or understanding of the Force.

Kaeden suddenly huffed, bending down to pick up a datapad on her pillow. She read it out, "Kaeden and Ahsoka, I've nipped out to sleep in Levi's tent, thought I'd give you two some alone time. Sweet dreams!"

Kaeden let the datapad drop to the bed again. "She is convinced we have something going on, huh?" She said nervously, subconsciously scratching the back of her neck.

"It would seem so." Ahsoka smiled awkwardly. There was a painful moment of silence, "So, are you coming to watch the duel tomorrow?"

Kaeden grew excited and bounced on her bed, "Of course! You said this girl wasn't happy about you waltzing in, you'll totally kick her butt."

Ahsoka lay back on her bed, her arms behind her head, supporting it, "I hope so. I'd be a pretty lousy ex-Jedi if I didn't."

They laughed, soon falling asleep to the calming sounds of each other's breathing.

...

 **Chapter 3 is donneeee. Now when I write these, because they're on my notes on my phone, I actually don't know the length of each chapter, which is annoying. I usually aim to do between 2000 and 3000 words on each chapter, so I apologise if some are a lot shorter than others.**

 **We don't really know a huge amount about Togruta culture so I hope my version of things makes sense. Basically, like a lot of pack animals, a runt is usually the weakling and it can be tough to compete against other for things such as food. They can also face rejection by the mother. Ahsoka has always been quite little in my opinion and so I thought making her the runt might add a little more to the story.**

 **Please review! Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

Ahsoka woke up early, four hours before her duel with Riyah.

After a quick brief with Miara, she decided to head down to the market and actually explore her culture for the first time in her life.

She'd earned her akul headdress, so she guessed that had counted for something. The right of passage was the only thing she really understood about her culture.

As she walked around the market, she noticed the majority of her people, especially the women and children, were not wearing shoes. She knew her people thought they felt more connected to the earth when they didn't wear shoes, but Ahsoka had never really believed in it. Maybe if she had never been taken away to join the Jedi, she might have believed in it.

Ahsoka caught a glimpse of silver in the corner of her eye.

"Shouldn't you be practising?" She heard Riyah speak. She adorned shiny armour, which had obviously been polished previously, and no shoes. Ahsoka could tell that the older girl was trying to intimidate her.

Ahsoka raised a brow, looking up at the much taller Togruta. "Shouldn't you?"

"I don't need to practise." She said bluntly.

Ahsoka frowned and pointed at the staff Riyah had received the previous day, "So why is that with you?"

The taller girl stammered for a moment, "I-I just went over a few carta's in the fields, to familiarise myself with the thickness and weight of the weapon."

Ahsoka nodded her head, "Fair enough."

"Have you practised?" She said, emphasising on 'you'.

Ahsoka shrugged, "No. Whatever happens later, happens."

"Hm." She glared down at the younger girl. "If I were a runt like you I'd be nervous for this fight."

Ahsoka craned her neck to sneer back at Riyah, "I trust in my abilities. Your overconfidence will be what loses you this duel."

Riyah went a deeper shade of red, and Ahsoka could sense her anger, not that Riyah even tried to hide it. "We'll see."

She turned on her heel and walked fast.

Ahsoka continued to browse around the market. She bought some fruit from a small stall in the centre of the market and ate as she continued to walk around.

By the time she returned back to her hut, her duel was in thirty minutes.

"You're back later than I expected," Kaeden said quickly, "Don't you have that battle soon?"

"Yeah," said Ahsoka, "I just came to pick up the staff, then I'm heading down. It's somewhere in the fields, in a big circular clearing with enough room for the duel and spectators."

Ahsoka picked up the staff that was leant against the wall. She held it out in front of her with both hands and assessed the weight. It was definitely heavier than a her lightsabers, but it was still quite light and would be effective for her fighting style. She liked to fight quick, with feints and fast, swiping strikes.

Twenty minutes later, the pair and Miara arrived at the meeting point. There were many residents there already.

The clearing was a large circular patch of dusty earth, surrounded by knee high turu grass. Dozens of people stood around the clearing, leaving plenty of room in the middle for the duel.

"There's a lot of people here," Observed Kaeden.

"Yeah," Agreed Miara, "Ahsoka you better win, it would just be embarrassing if you lost in front of all of these people."

Ahsoka ignored her and shook her head in amusement.

Ahsoka noticed the chief approaching Riyah at his side, still wearing her polished armour. She had a fierce, determined look on her face but it didn't phase Ahsoka.

The chief weaved through the crowds and stood in the centre of the dusty clearing. Ahsoka moved forward and stood next to them. The crowd went silent and watched intently.

"As you all may of heard by now... There is a chance that the Empire may come to attack this village!" The chief spoke, loud enough for the ever-increasing crowd to hear him.

The silence was broken by many gasps and anxious whisperers. Ahsoka could sense the uneasiness.

"We have two people who are willing to fight and lead our army, should it come to it. These are Riyah Tereo and Rebellion commander, Fulcrum!"

There were a few cheers, but Ahsoka could still sense that a lot of the villagers felt uneasy, unsafe and scared.

The chief continued, "Now there can only be one leader of our army for this battle... I am unfortunately too old to lead... but that does not mean that I won't fight for our tribe!"

A few more loud cheers, this time more confident.

"This duel is to determine who will lead our army into battle. We will use their strategies, their plans and their experience to guide us through these troubling times." He concluded.

Ahsoka glanced around as people shouted and cheered. It stopped when the chief raised his hand. He looked down at the two girls and nodded for them to begin. He moved to edge of the circular crowd.

The two girls took a few wide steps back from each other, putting some distance between them. Ahsoka observed Riyah as she fell into a fighting stance. She stood sideways, her front leg bent in a slight crouch. She held her staff tightly with her right hand at eye level, and her left hand around the height of her hips. The staff was held at the diagonal angle so she could quickly change her fighting stance and was prepared for an attack from either above or below.

Since Ahsoka was a lot smaller than her opponent, she opted for an open defensive stance.

As Ahsoka had predicted, Riyah made the first move. She charged at Ahsoka, leaping into the air and going for an attack on Ahsoka's head.

Ahsoka quickly dodged and effortlessly blocked an aggressive swipe coming for her head.

Riyah was relentless with her attacks, coming in with quick hard swipes from above and below.

Ahsoka blocked her attacks with the centre of her staff. When a swipe came from the right, Ahsoka used the far end of her staff to smash the oncoming hit away.

Riyah was strong, Ahsoka would credit her that. But she lacked a lot of experience when it came to fighting with weapons. It irritated Ahsoka how she couldn't just swipe her off her feet in one go. It would be too suspicious if she beat Riyah straight away.

Ahsoka decided to use offence instead of defence. Ahsoka did a 180 degree turn on her heel, spinning her staff skilfully behind her back then using her right arm to aim a powerful strike at the taller girl.

She blocked it with difficulty, staggering back slightly from the force of the blow. Ahsoka attacked again, using her enhanced agility to her benefit, twirling her staff again for an overhead attack while pivoting.

Again, Riyah blocked with difficulty. After blocking the smaller girls attack, she bought her knee up, striking Ahsoka's abdomen forcefully.

Ahsoka staggered back slightly, the air knocked out of her temporarily. So, Riyah liked to play dirty. Ahsoka shrugged it off - she'd dealt with this fighting for years. If anything, it only made Riyah that much more predictable.

Ahsoka went in for another quick strike to the older girl, but Riyah stepped forcefully onto Ahsoka's foot, locking her in place.

Not being able to move, Ahsoka struck her staff harshly against Riyah's side. She winced, but the armour covering her softened the blow considerably.

Riyah pressed down harder on Ahsoka's foot and raised her staff, jabbing Ahsoka hard in the cheek. The force of the blow knocked her head back and at the same time Riyah released Ahsoka's foot.

Gasps could be heard when the staff collided with Ahsoka's face. Ahsoka could sense Kaeden's worry.

The smaller girl stumbled back as Riyah had hoped. Riyah didn't expect Ahsoka to recover so quickly, though.

As soon as Ahsoka regained her footing, which took half a second, she jumped forward, spinning in the air, gripping her staff low.

Riyah stepped back just enough for the wooden weapon to miss her legs, but Ahsoka dashed forward, pushing the end of her staff harshly into Riyah's metal chest plate. The staff clanged on the armour, most definitely leaving a bruise on the centre of the older girl's chest.

Riyah couldn't think of anything to do as Ahsoka quickly advanced on her again. The whole battle had been so fast paced that Riyah relied mostly on her instincts. She had seriously underestimated the girls abilities, she realised. She was fast, strong and really skilled with a weapon.

As Ahsoka leapt into the air, Riyah flicked her weapon into the ground, sending a clump of dust and earth straight into Ahsoka's face.

A cloud of dust was surrounding the pair now.

Riyah could see Ahsoka furiously rubbing at her eyes, and she realised that Ahsoka was now temporarily blinded.

She glanced to all of the spectators. She saw Fulcrum's friends, looking worried and anxious. A lot of spectators were cheering herself on and it made her feel prideful.

She immediately took the chance to attack. She aimed for Ahsoka's legs, swinging widely, hoping to knock her straight off her feet and onto her back.

Ahsoka sensed the attack coming and leapt up, tucking in her legs as she leant backwards. She landed the backflip effortlessly, back in the same spot.

She couldn't see Riyah, since the dirt prevented her from opening her stinging eyes for more than half a second, but she could certainly hear her and sense her through the force. She could feel the shock radiating off Riyah and the crowds when she cleared her landing.

Ahsoka resisted a smirk. It hurt to move her face since her eyes stung so badly.

Ahsoka's feet moved in perfect rhythm as she moved, flawlessly blocking Riyah's reckless strikes. She used the force and enhanced hearing to guide her. Even though Ahsoka was the one of the defensive side, she was the one pushing Riyah backwards. Ahsoka advanced on her, pivoting and blocking while using her precise footing to move forward.

Ahsoka's heart raced as she sensed an extremely fast and powerful blow coming for her head. She decided it was time to end this duel and ducked while pivoting on both of her heels, executing a perfect 360 turn while rooted on the same spot.

Her staff swiped against Riyah's ankles, sending her flying into the air. There was a large bang when she smashed into the ground.

Ahsoka pointed her staff into Riyah's face, signalling that she had won the fight. Her eyes were open as far as they would allow, and she could see the blurry outline of Riyah's body and face.

She could faintly see the crowd clapping and cheering her on.

She removed the staff from the older girls face and bent down, offering a hand to the defeated warrior.

She took it and Ahsoka yanked her up. The cheers increased and Ahsoka found it hard to spot Kaeden in the crowd.

Her eyes were blood shot and her vision was blurry, but it was starting to clear slightly. She couldn't stop blinking, however.

She could see the blurred outline of who she assumed was the chief walking towards her. He grabbed her hand and held it high above her head, her staff still in her other hand, "It seems we have our winner! Fulcrum from the Rebellion!"

There was plenty of cheers and through her stinging eyes, she could see Kaeden clapping and smiling straight at her. She returned the grin. Miara was at her side and next to her, stood Selda.

Ahsoka's grin grew wider, glad that Selda could make it down and visit his home planet again. She assumed he'd seen the duel.

The crowd started to fizzle out, leaving behind Ahsoka's friends by the looks of it, some of Riyah's friends.

A middle aged Torguta woman, who looked very sweet and innocent, walked over to the two warriors and with a sack full of bandages and things to treat their injuries.

"Who's first?" She smiled lovingly.

Ahsoka smiled at Riyah, signalling she could go first. She wanted a quick catch up with Selda anyway - she hadn't seen him in about a year, so they were definitely overdue one.

The woman started to tend to Riyah's bruises, applying some sort of green lotion to them.

"That was quite impressive, Fulcrum." Selda said. "It was a pleasure to finally see you in combat."

Ahsoka smiled at him, though it wasn't so cheerful, "I just hope you won't have to see me in a full fledged battle. It would be unfortunate if the Empire arrive and we actually need to fight."

The medic was soon finished with Riyah and Ahsoka excused herself from Selda for a few minutes while the woman applied the same green lotion to her growing bruises. She also gave her some water and a bowl of cream to put on her eyes, which were still stinging and red.

Ahsoka glanced over at Riyah's friends, who seemed as stuck up as she was. When her friends walked off, Riyah approached Ahsoka a little hesitantly, which seemed unusual for a girl so confident and up herself.

"Congratulations." She said somewhat bitterly.

"Thanks. You know, just because I beat you, doesn't mean I don't want your help with the strategy. And it doesn't mean that I don't want you on the front lines fighting with me."

Riyah seemed both shocked and slightly touched at the same time. "Really?"

Ahsoka nodded, "Of course. You're an excellent fighter. I'd been training from quite a young age before I joined the rebellion, when I lived on Kiros. I've had more than enough practise." The lie fell from her mouth so easily that it almost made her feel uncomfortable.

"Thank you. I appreciate it. Honestly, I just thought you were some stuck up, secretly overconfident kid. But you're extremely skilled, you must of had a hell of a lot of training." She said, though Ahsoka could tell she was a little bummed about the loss.

"Trust me I've heard that a lot over the years. Don't worry about it."

Kaeden walked over to them, stepping beside Ahsoka and glanced over Riyah quickly. "Fulcrum, we need to get back to Hashee." She said somewhat stiffly.

Ahsoka studied her for a quick second - she looked somewhat irritated and a little flustered.

Ahsoka was aware of Kaeden's feelings for her, and she tried to ignore that fact as much as she could. Ahsoka didn't like thinking of it for some reason, she just chose not to address Kaeden's feelings.

But what Ahsoka didn't understand were these feelings of jealously Kaeden was displaying.

Ahsoka had felt jealously before. She felt a little guilty about it because the girl she had been jealous of ended up falling off a cliff. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen Lux since Steela's funeral.

"You're right, Kaeden." Ahsoka agreed, just wanting to get out of the awkward situation. She didn't understand these types of things, since she was always taught to be against feelings of jealously and attraction.

Kaeden started to walk quite fast, seemingly forgetting that Ahsoka had just been in a duel and had endured some minor injuries. Ahsoka caught up quickly to her, though.

"Um, are you okay, Kaeden?" She asked awkwardly.

"Yeah of course, we just have things to do." She continued to walk fast.

Ahsoka sighed. Why were girls so difficult? "If you say so, Kaeden."

...

 **I hope this chapter was a bit more exciting! If you want want a better picture of Riyah in your head, just think of Brianne of Tarth from Game Of Thones, but obviously a Togruta and not a great fighter.**

 **Please review! Thank you!**


End file.
